German National Guideline for Treating Chronic Respiratory Failure with Non-Invasive Ventilation

Abstract

The german guideline on non-invasive ventilation offers comprehensive recommendations for the treatment of chronic respiratory failure in various underlying conditions, such as COPD, thoraco-restrictive diseases, obesity-hypoventilation syndrome, and neuromuscular diseases. The aim of the guideline is to improve the treatment of patients with chronic respiratory insufficiency using non-invasive ventilation and to make the indications and therapy recommendations accessible to all involved in the treatment process. It is based on the latest scientific evidence and replaces the previous guideline from 2017. This revised guideline provides detailed recommendations on the application of non-invasive ventilation, ventilation settings, and the subsequent follow-up of treatment. In addition to the updated evidence, important new features of this guideline include new recommendations on patient care and numerous detailed treatment pathways that make the guideline more user-friendly. Furthermore, a completely revised section is dedicated to ethical issues and offers recommendations for end-of-life care. This guideline is an important tool for physicians and other healthcare professionals to optimize the care of patients with chronic respiratory failure.